Internship Process Technology & Development

We are looking for a new colleague who would like to join us as a full-time intern for at least six months and that will support our Process Technology and Development Team. Starting in fall or earlier upon request (September/October 2024).

Epoxy resins are produced in many forms, of which base epoxy resins (liquid resins as well as solid resins) are the largest group. These base resins can be used to produce Specialty Epoxy Products that possess unique material properties for our customers.

In Europe, Westlake Epoxy has three R&D/Technology development laboratories, being the Epicenter at the Shell Pernis site in the Netherlands, the R&D center for product & application development on the Duisburg production site and the R&D lab in Esslingen in Germany.

Westlake epoxy’s Internship Program is an opportunity for Bachelor’s and Master’s students to apply their knowledge in a 6 to 12 months project within the Westlake Epoxy’s Epoxy Technology or R&D Department. It is possible to combine the internship assignment with your Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis. The program will give you the opportunity to work on a project and to influence our research efforts directly. As you will be learning on the job, you will have a personal Mentor, who helps you with your assignment and supports in case of any question. If you are looking for an opportunity where you can demonstrate your ingenuity by solving real world problems, in an environment focused on sustainable and safe developments, look no further than Westlake Epoxy’s EPICENTER Internship Program.

Depending on the candidate’s background, assignments can be defined in one of the following areas:

• Process Chemistry: scouting of new chemical pathways

In current times, there is a general shift away from fossil fuel feedstocks towards more sustainable bio-based alternatives. In parallel, the recycling of windmill blades has become an area of focus for many epoxy resin companies. The move to a cleaner and more sustainable future is happening on both sides of the value chain.

However, biobased feedstocks are often mixtures containing many different molecules and isomers with very complex molecular distributions. The products obtained from recycling wind blades are equally complex.

The process chemist internship projects are based on bio-based raw materials or the products from wind blade recycling. The goal, and the challenge, is to understand how these new chemical mixtures react in epoxy forming reactions. Process development is required to optimize the reactions and steer the product properties towards desired specifications. Working from small scale reactions (for general screening) to scaled up reactions (for prototype materials), these breakthrough projects will contribute to our long-term sustainability goals.

or

• Analytical Chemistry: Analytical method development that allows research into breakthrough chemistry. The analytical R&D labs support process development using a large set of analytical tools, including UHPLC-(MS/MS), TD-GC-MS, GC-FID, several in- and offline spectroscopic techniques and wet chemical titrations. Depending on the level of the candidate, the length and depth of the assignment will be tailor-made. All analytical projects will impact R&D efforts and might also lead to improved analytical methods that will be used in QAQC laboratories.

You will handle a project under the guidance of a Mentor, who is an expert in the research area of your assignment. You will be working independently to define a research question, develop a validation method for your question, execute the measurement plan, analyze the data and conclude on your research question. You will receive extensive safety training to ensure you are empowered to execute all activities in a safe manner.

You will be a team member of the EPICENTER research team. The assignment will help you gain insight into manufacturing of epoxy resins, while being immersed in day to day lab work, further developing your practical skills and giving you an insight into the work for a leading global chemistry company.

• Literature Study
• Process Development (catalyst/reaction conditions screening, product prototyping)
• Process Modelling
• Material research and analytical method development
• Experimental Preparation and Execution
• Data analysis and reporting
• Project Management

• Analytical, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Bachelor’s or Master’s student
• Safety Mindset
• English language knowledge is required, Dutch or German language knowledge will be a plus

What we offer:

• Working indepentendly in international teams
• The opportunity to grow personally and professionally by doing training and coaching, but also on-the-job coaching.
• Being part of a movement that brings great ideas into reality.
• Intensive onboarding procedure with buddy support.
• Development opportunities in a trainee programme.